Some Photos of Muscle Ridge, Maine

By Paul Foster-Moore

Friend and subscriber Paul Foster-Moore and his wife Laurel have been taking their new Seward double out for several breakdown voyages. In July they stayed at Lobster Buoy campground mid-coast Maine facing the Muscle Ridge Islands. Here is Paul's report:

We just snuck back from the Lobster Buoy campground this morning before the rains descended again, after two solid days of blue skies and low humidity paddling. We especially enjoyed Nettle Island where we stopped for lunch. Some very lovely coves, pocket beaches, and what I'm calling lagoons - quiet and enclosed bodies of water undisturbed by the wind and waves.

You'll see Laurel ducking as we pass under this wide footbridge in a passage in the middle of Hewitt Island. Notice the stone structures enclosing the space, kind of like Lane's Cove in Gloucester, Mass.

Lobster Buoy campground is another story. RVs and tents packed in like sardines all for the incomparable views of and access to the ocean. We launched from our campsite #B. Never ever has a launch been so easy. Best to visit mid-week and after Labor Day. It was a zoo of happy lively families.

In Rockland we dined outdoors at Cafe Miranda's, an acclaimed restaurant in town. We also took in the Strand Theater to see "Roadrunner," the documentary of the strange, intense, empty, and tragic life of Anthony Bourdain. We liked the theater better than the film.

Pleasant enough, but not much privacy in Lobster Buoy Campground. Not much has changed since Tammy and David were there in 2001.

Although nearly all of the islands in Muscle Ridge are private, there are plenty of landing spots.

Laurel enjoys her lunch and ducks to avoid being brained by the bridge across the "lagoon" in the middle of Hewitt Island.

Two fellow paddlers enjoying a fabulous day in the middle of the Muscle Ridge Channel.

We have really enjoyed this boat this season. Another barrier across the "lagoon" in the middle of Hewitt Island.